Big Huge Games on the Block

Big Huge Games, the developer of PC games like Rise of Nations and Xbox Live Arcade games like Settlers of Catan, is for sale and will close unless THQ can find a buyer for the Maryland studio. The move is part of a realignment as THQ adjusts to large quarterly losses. THQ recently reported a $192 million fourth quarter loss and announced plans to lay off almost a quarter of its staff. THQ is also spinning off two other studios as independent companies, Heavy Iron and Incinerator.

THQ acquired Big Huge Games a year ago. Prior to that, Big Huge Games was an independent developer that was founded by a number of former Firaxis employees, including designer Brian Reynolds and producer Tim Train. Big Huge Games had a long partnership with Microsoft, developing Rise of Nations and Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends. The company also worked on Catan, an Xbox Live Arcade version of the popular board game.

Big Huge was currently working on a role-playing game and it had hired Ken Rolston, the lead designer of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, to work on it. If THQ does not find a buyer for the studio, it plans to close Big Huge Games.